Spells to Be Cast at Anti-Marine Rally in California

Subject: Spells to Be Cast at Anti-Marine Rally in California Fri May 09, 2008 2:10 pm

Spells to Be Cast at Anti-Marine Rally in California

Members of an anti-war group begangathering Friday with pink placards and banners outside of acontroversial Marine Corps Recruiting Center in Berkeley, Calif., whereCode Pink had promised to use witchcraft to rally against the Iraq war.

CodePink members unfurled a pink banner reading "Troops Home Now" Fridayand waved signs as they began the protest, which they have promisedwould include incantations and pointy hats for a "witches, crones andsirens" day.

"Women are coming to cast spellsand do rituals and to impart wisdom to figure out how we're going toend war," Zanne Sam Joi of Bay Area Code Pink told FOXNews.com.

Members of the pro-troopsgroup Move Forward America came to the center armed with packages ofsalt, which they planned to spread around the recruiting station tokeep the Marines safe from spells. The group's Web site imploredmembers to bring brooms to "mock the anti-American witches of CodePink."

Code Pink's protest capped a Mother'sDay week's worth of themed protests, which included days to galvanizegrannies and bring-your-daughter-to-protest. The planned events appearto have done little to boost the protesters' flagging numbers.A FOX News camera, which has a 24/7 live shot ofthe recruiting center's front door, recorded little action, and thegatherings have, until this point, been ill-attended.In February, the Marine Corps RecruitingCenter was the site of fierce pro- and anti-war protests. It madenational headlines when Berkeley City Council voted to send a letter tothe recruiting station advising the Marines they were not welcome.Council members later moderated their position, saying they oppose thewar in Iraq but support the troops.

Code Pink —which was given parking and noise permits by the City Council and isallowed to protest during the recruiting center's business hours — hasbeen protesting daily since September.

Thegroup frequently announces bizarre theme weeks in front of the office,but its members' numbers have been dwindling and the events get littlemedia attention.

Now, after three months ofcontinual protest, their actions barely capture the attention of eventhe Marines at the recruiting center.

Capt. John Paul Wheatcroft said he's unfazed by Code Pink's antics.

"They'realways in pink and wear funny things, half-shaved heads, one side withhair and the other one bald," he told FOXNews.com. "Yeah, I'm prettymuch used to anything."

Code Pink said thatgrandmothers did show up for Monday's protest — some more than 90 yearsold, some in wheelchairs — and began knocking on the door of therecruiting center."The grandmothers were here and tried to getrecruited," Joi said. "They tried to have conversations with theMarines, but the Marines were too scared to talk."

Wheatcroft,who was the Marine on the other side of the door, said he was notafraid of the grannies. He just didn't open the door.

"Mostof the time they are just practicing their right to protest and theirfreedom of speech or whatever, so it's not usually a problem for us,"Wheatcroft told FOXNews.com. "But sometimes it crosses the line, andthat happened [Monday] when the grannies were here blocking theentrance and banging on the door."

On Tuesday,Code Pink's theme was "fierce mothers raging against war," Joi said, totalk about all the mothers killed and raped in war. Wednesday's themewas "bring your daughter to the protest," where daughters explained whythey don't want their parents fighting the war. Thursday was "sistersdon't allow sisters to live in war zones" day, and the week was to wrapup Friday with "witches, crones and sirens" day.

Code Pink isn't the only group that has seen numbers drop amid rallying around the Marine recruiting center.

KimberlyWagner, Berkeley College Republicans activism chair, who is dating aMarine, said her group has been trying to keep up a presence outsidethe center since Feb. 13, when Code Pink's parking permit went intoeffect.

The college Republicans are fighting toacquire the same parking permits that Code Pink has. A resolution togrant the group an equal permit will be entered and voted upon in theMay 20 council meeting.

Wagner said showing upto rally is especially hard due to final exams, which begin on Monday,but she said she will be there — this week and every week — "as areminder to Code Pink that not everybody agrees with them."

Whenasked if she was planning any special events to counter Code Pink'stheme week, Wagner said: "We try not to do anything embarrassing." Sheadded, "We're just going to stick with our regular thing because wehave lives and they don't."

But if events thisweek are an attempt by anti-war protesters to remarket their cause, theMarine recruiters in Berkeley tell FOXNews.com that Code Pink'spresence outside their office has helped — not hindered — their mission.

"Ironically,it's actually helped us by putting our name out. We're now well-known.And people know who we are, and where we are, and they come in to talkto us about enlisting. They've gotten us the publicity that we could'venever afforded to pay for ourselves," Wheatcroft told FOXNews.com.

"Justin the last three weeks, 10 people came in looking to apply, looking tobecome Marine officers, and that's much higher than normal," he said.

Wheatcroftcould not give exact figures on recruiting numbers, and officials atthe Marine Corps' national headquarters did not respond to repeatedrequests for information.

As for what's brewingoutside his recruiting center this week, Wheatcroft responded, "I thinkwitches won't shock me, but it'll be a change of pace, so that's nice.

"Do you think they'll bring their cauldron?"

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